"Creating a fair and fun game experience is of critical importance to EA. The crate mechanics of Star Wars Battlefront 2 are not gambling. A player's ability to succeed in the game is not dependent on purchasing crates. Players can also earn crates through playing the game and not spending any money at all. Once obtained, players are always guaranteed to receive content that can be used in game."

Once obtained, players are always guaranteed to receive content that can be used in game."

I am now picturing a future where loot crates in one game will grant bonuses for other games in that publisher's/developer's library, regardless of whether the player owns it or not, and it doesn't even seem that far fetched.

Knoyleo wrote:I am now picturing a future where loot crates in one game will grant bonuses for other games in that publisher's/developer's library, regardless of whether the player owns it or not, and it doesn't even seem that far fetched.

The "GOTY" edition of Overwatch includes ten "free" loot crates alongside some DLC for other unrelated Blizzard games... the future is here, dude .

Knoyleo wrote:I am now picturing a future where loot crates in one game will grant bonuses for other games in that publisher's/developer's library, regardless of whether the player owns it or not, and it doesn't even seem that far fetched.

The "GOTY" edition of Overwatch includes ten "free" loot crates alongside some DLC for other unrelated Blizzard games... the future is here, dude .

Not really the same, as it's made clear that you're paying extra for items in another game at the point of purchase. You can choose to avoid it.

"We're taking on feedback/listening/making adjustments" is the game equivalent of "thoughts and prayers".

Tweaking the numbers a bit doesn't resolve the underlying problems of progression through random lootboxes.

EDIT: All this instant falling back and changing things shows they had no faith or belief in any of these systems; that they will (say they will) change anything and everything to placate bad PR rather than make any meanigful change.

Buffalo wrote:Let’s see what the actual changes are, first, before continuing to moan about it?

I feel that it’s a good thing that the volume of negative feedback is encouraging EA to make changes to the play / progression systems in both Battlefront II and Need for Speed Payback. Reading reviews of Payback, though, I’m not really sure that the progression changes will improve the actual gameplay in any way.

Perhaps it’s worth considering not purchasing games that employ similar systems until at least a few weeks post launch... you never know what may change.

Buffalo wrote:Let’s see what the actual changes are, first, before continuing to moan about it?

Increased the amount of REP awarded by taking part in events.Increased the amount of Bank awarded by taking part in events.Bait crates now reward increased REP.Bait crates now reward increased Bank.Competing against a Roaming Racer will reward you with increased REP.Competing against a Roaming Racer will reward you with increased Bank.Air Suspension will now appear more frequently within Shipments.Slightly increased REP and Bank for finishing an event outside of first place.

Just numerical tweaks rather than any fundamental change, still progress through random unlocks. It was bad enough in The Crew (and i suspect will be worse in the sequel).

Buffalo wrote:Let’s see what the actual changes are, first, before continuing to moan about it?

Increased the amount of REP awarded by taking part in events.Increased the amount of Bank awarded by taking part in events.Bait crates now reward increased REP.Bait crates now reward increased Bank.Competing against a Roaming Racer will reward you with increased REP.Competing against a Roaming Racer will reward you with increased Bank.Air Suspension will now appear more frequently within Shipments.Slightly increased REP and Bank for finishing an event outside of first place.

Just numerical tweaks rather than any fundamental change, still progress through random unlocks. It was bad enough in The Crew (and i suspect will be worse in the sequel).

Isn't the bigger problem with this and The Crew that they are a bit gooseberry fool regardless of the loot boxes? I don't see it selling well based purely on that.

Belgium says loot boxes are gambling, wants them banned in EuropeThe Minster of Justice says the mix of gaming and gambling is "dangerous."

Last week, Belgium's Gaming Commission announced that it had launched an investigation into whether the loot boxes available for purchase in games like Overwatch and Star Wars Battlefront 2 constitute a form of gambling. Today, VTM News reported that the ruling is in, and the answer is yes.

The Google translation is a little sloppy, as usual, but the message is clear enough. "The mixing of money and addiction is gambling," the Gaming Commission declared. Belgium's Minister of Justice Koen Geens also weighed in, saying, "Mixing gambling and gaming, especially at a young age, is dangerous for the mental health of the child."

Geens, according to the report, wants to ban in-game purchases outright (correction: if you don't know exactly what you're purchasing), and not just in Belgium: He said the process will take time, "because we have to go to Europe. We will certainly try to ban it."

And now, things will start to get interesting. I've reached out to the Gaming Commission for more information, and will update if I receive a reply.

The games industry could've avoided this if they hadn't been so blatantly greedy and predatory with their loot boxes - many chose to not even be transparent about drop odds which was ridiculously anti-consumer! They've brought this on themselves.

The State of Hawaii announces action to address predatory practices at Electronic Arts and other companies:

Chris Lee here - I'm the one in the suit. My staff just told me someone apparently found this youtube upload before we had a chance to finish putting it together, but I thought I'd leave it up and just post here to explain that this fight can be won if people step up. This fight is about protecting kids, protecting families, freedom from exploitation, and the future of entertainment in this country.

People are more powerful than they think. While we are stepping up to act in Hawaii, we have also been in discussions with our counterparts in a number of other states who are also considering how to address this issue. Change is difficult at the federal level, but states can and are taking action.

Even so, elected officials can't do it alone. They need your support and you can compel action wherever you live by calling and emailing your own state legislators and asking them to act. But don't stop there. Call your allies. Call your pastors and teachers and community leaders. Ask them to call your state legislators as well. Their voices are politically powerful.

I believe this fight can be won because all the key bases of political support across the country are on the same side. The religious community, the medical community, the education community, consumer advocates, parents, even many business leaders and local chambers of commerce. This is a fight that unites everyone, even the most polarized conservatives and progressives. Doing something is a political win for Democrats and Republicans alike. And frankly, we don't need to change the laws in every state - we just need to change a few and it will be enough to draw the line and compel change.

These kinds of lootboxes and microtransactions are explicitly designed to prey upon and exploit human psychology in the same way casino games are so designed. This is especially true for young adults who child psychologists and other experts explain are particularly vulnerable. These exploitive mechanisms and the deceptive marketing promoting them have no place in games being marketed to minors, and perhaps no place in games at all.

Your future is whatever you make it, so make it a good one. You have the power to get involved and decide this and the choice is clear: stand up now, or let this be the new normal from this point forward.